Recruiting Moves Off-Campus

Posted by The Editors on August 11, 2011

Back in the spring, I wrote an article for WetFeet magazine about the job outlook for 2011 grads. While conducting research for the article, many of my sources mentioned that savvy, post-recession job seekers need to do more than put in face time at career fairs and career services offices. They need to master online recruitment methods, whether through Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, or the tools available on company websites.

This idea of moving recruiting online was covered in a recent Wall Street Journal article titled, “Another Victim of the Recession: On-Campus Recruiting.” Campus recruiting, often thought of as the “bread and butter” recruitment method for large organizations, is simply becoming too costly. “A lot of companies have reduced budgets, so it’s cheaper to do [recruiting] through social networks so there’s less traveling,” Andrea Knocz, employment information manager at NACE, told me last spring. According to a 2011 survey by NACE, nearly 78 percent of employers conduct on-campus interviews, down from about 89 percent in 2007.

So what does this shift mean for you? For one—and you’ve probably heard this 20 times—clean up your online presence! If you’re reaching out to a recruiter via Twitter and your 30 previous tweets are play-by-play recounts of your beer pong tournament last night, it’s not going to reflect well on you.

Second, spend some time researching the best ways to connect with recruiters at your ideal companies. For instance, PwC has a “Meet Your Recruiter” section for easy access to HR on its website. If you know what you’re looking for when you approach employers’ websites, you’ll be able to quickly navigate around them and apply for positions.

Third, step away from the computer and network your butt off with friends, family, professors, former coworkers, whoever. Employee referrals continue to be a strong way to land a position, and building a strong network early on in your career will only help you down the line.

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